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PrayerBangladesh | 14 April 2024
Pray! 15-year-old Christian beaten in Bangladesh
Show: true / Country: Bangladesh / Bangladesh
It was a sunny afternoon and Dudul—a Bangladeshi teenager—was walking toward some corn fields to check on his family’s crops.
Suddenly, a mob of young Muslim extremists grabbed him and dragged him to a local political leader. The young men tied Dudul to a tree and stripped him naked. No one stopped what was happening—instead, onlookers began to watch and take videos and photos.
The political leader Dudul was taken to is the same leader who has led multiple mobs to target Dudul’s family in the village where they live because the family converted from Islam to Christianity.
It’s been four years since their conversion and during that time, the family has been regular targets of abuse and violence. They’ve been mocked, isolated, publicly shamed and physically hurt by various extremist neighbors and community members. Dudul and his family remain fervent in their faith in Jesus, and the abuse continues, culminating in Dudul tied, naked, to a tree.
As he stood there helpfless, the extremist mob began falsely accusing Dudul of stealing a goat from a Muslim, trying to justify their attack. The accusers had planned this; there was an adult and baby goat tied to the same tree Dudul was tied to, planting false evidence for anyone watching.
At the command of the local politician, the mob began brutally beating Dudul. The leader also encouraged the onlookers to film the “punishment.” No amount of pleading could stop this mob. The videos and photos were immediately posted on social media and went viral in the village.
Dudul’s parents filed a case against the persecutors and the local police found the incident to be true after visiting the spot and interviewing both the witnesses and the victim. Dudul was rushed to a local medical clinic but had to be relocated to another hospital because the perpetrators threatened Dudul and his family for complaining to the local police. The mob also threatened the doctors, forcing them to not provide any evidence of persecution.
Dudul’s body was full of bruises and injuries. He was physically very weak, mentally frustrated and traumatized after such shocking violence.
When they heard what had happened to the 15-year-old, Open Doors partners sent immediate support for Dudul’s treatment. They have also visited him at the hospital and will continue supporting the victim for treatment. And, of course, they have been praying for Dudul—and ask you to do the same. Here’s how you can pray:
Pray for the full and quick recovery of Dudul. Pray he won’t have permanent injuries. Pray that he will be able to resume a normal life.
Dudul is very frustrated and ashamed of such persecution, especially as he was naked in front of his community and in viral social media videos. This could have a deeply negative impact on his life. Pray for his mental and emotional health.
Pray for Dudul’s parents and church community, that they will stand with him, support him and encourage him to be strong as he attempts to recover from the situation.
Pray for the local authorities responsible for taking proper action against the persecutors. Pray that the authorities won’t be biased and won’t release the perpetrators without proper punishment.
